Green Rugs: Sage, Olive and Forest

A green rug works in an Indian home when the green is muted, close to sage, olive or a deep forest, and when it has wood and white nearby to rest against. Choose the shade by the light in the room and the surface by how the room is used.

Which shade of green suits your room?

Choose sage for a light, airy room, olive for a room with lots of wood, and forest for a large room that can carry a deep tone. All three are muted, which makes them easier to combine than a bright green.

The light matters as much as the shade. A sage that looks grey-green in a north-facing Mumbai flat can look almost olive in a west-facing Delhi room in the afternoon.

Look at a swatch in the morning and again at night. Warm LED bulbs push green toward olive, while cool white bulbs push it toward grey.

What are Rugberry's green rugs made of?

Rugberry's green rugs are in New Zealand wool, either handloom woven or hand tufted, and each shade comes in a different surface.

Sage, handloom

The Grain Wool Rug in sage is handloom woven in New Zealand wool with a low, closely worked surface. It is the quietest green and suits dining rooms, since chairs slide over it.

Olive, wool and jute

The Cabra Wool & Jute Rug in olive is handloom woven in New Zealand wool and jute, firm underfoot, with wool softening the jute. Its olive leans toward khaki, which sits easily beside old teak.

Eucalyptus, hand tufted

The Eucalyptus Wool Rug is hand tufted in New Zealand wool in a muted green, soft and slightly grey, with a dense pile that holds its shape.

Forest, ombré

The Ombré Forest Rug is hand tufted in New Zealand wool, a slow gradation through greens, deepest at one end. Place the deep end where furniture is heaviest, so the room feels anchored there. See ombré in the glossary.

How do you style a green rug with indoor plants?

Style a green rug with plants by keeping the rug a step lighter or darker than the leaves, and by grouping plants rather than scattering them. Otherwise the rug and the foliage merge into one green mass.

Money plants, areca palms and rubber plants are common in Indian homes and have bright, glossy leaves. A muted sage or olive rug sits behind them well, because it is softer and matte.

Keep pots off the rug or on a stand with a saucer. Water that overflows from a pot is one of the most common ways a rug gets marked.

A green rug next to plants needs a step of contrast, or rug and leaves blur into one.

Which wood and colours go with a green rug?

Mid to dark woods such as teak, sheesham and walnut go well with a green rug, along with white, cream and warm grey. Avoid too many other strong colours, so the green stays the one tone that carries the room.

• Teak or sheesham. Warm wood and muted green are a classic pair, especially with a sage or olive rug.
• Pale oak or ash. A deeper forest green gives a pale wood room its anchor.
• Upholstery. Cream, oatmeal or a warm grey sofa keeps the room light.
• Metal. Matte black or blackened steel suits green better than polished chrome.

Sage, olive or forest: which should you choose?

Choose by room size and use. For a small or dim room, choose sage over forest, because a lighter green keeps the floor from feeling heavy. For a large living room with tall windows, choose the Ombré Forest Rug, because its gradation gives a big floor depth and direction.

For a bedroom where feet are bare, choose the hand-tufted Eucalyptus over the handloom sage or the wool and jute olive, because a cut pile is softer to stand on. For an entrance, choose the Cabra in olive, because jute gives it a firm, hard-wearing surface. More shades sit in the green rugs collection.

How do you care for a green wool rug?

Care for a green wool rug by vacuuming on suction only, turning it every few months and keeping it out of hours of direct afternoon sun. Turning spreads any gentle softening of colour across the rug.

Wipe up soil from plant pots while it is dry, by lifting it rather than rubbing. If wet soil spills, let it dry first and then vacuum.

Frequently asked questions

Is a green rug hard to match?

A muted green is easier to match than most people expect, because it behaves like a neutral beside wood and white. Bright greens are harder, which is why sage, olive and forest are more forgiving.

Does a green rug show dirt?

A mid green hides dust better than ivory or a very dark green. Soil and pet hair still show on any plain surface, so vacuum weekly.

Can I get a green rug in a custom size?

Yes. The green rugs named here can be made in any size and colour to order, which suits odd-shaped Indian living rooms.

Leaves above, a quiet green below. Material first.